A blast from the past in Vigan’s Crisologo Museum

Wondering what an old Vigan home looked like, decades ago? Visit Crisologo Museum.

Crisologo Museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions where you can see what a Vigan house looked like decades ago. As you walk into the museum, you need not pay for an entrance fee but guides encourage you to donate money for the maintenance of the place.

Office of Floro Crisologo

This huge house is owned by a prominent congressman in the 1970s named Floro S. Crisologo. He is known for he has authored laws such as the creation of the North’s first state university, the University of the Northern Philippines, and the establishment of the Social Security System (SSS) which is still currently used by the Filipinos up to this date. Crisologo, a patriarch of the clan, died a tragic death when he was shot in the head by an unidentified gunman while he was inside the St. Paul’s Cathedral in October 1970. His bereaved family, his wife Carmeling Crisologo, then made sure that they will not forget Crisologo’s meaningful life, thus leading to the establishment of the Crisologo Museum.

Carriages in the Old Vigan

The two-storey house is divided into parts where one can see various items that will remind you of the Crisologo legacy. On the first floor, you will find displays of antiques, important documents such as certificates, uniforms, paintings, and other prized possessions of Crisologo. You will also find the vehicle used by Carmeling when she her life was almost taken when she was pregnant after a bullet shot through. There’s also a library located at the first floor where you can see documents and news clippings regarding the prominent political family.

On the second floor, you will see the bedrooms and the private possessions of the members of the family. The museum still houses the same furniture the Crisologo family once used which makes it a museum to see. Portraits of family members and other memorabilia are displayed in the open area. The museum preserves these items which they restrict for the guests to touch. Guests are allowed to take photos as the museum guides tour people around the museum.

Want to know how a political family’s life in Vigan looks like? See Crisologo Museum and learn a lot!